Jeffrey Hollender

Biography

Hollender grew up in New York City attending the Town School, Allen-Stevenson, Riverdale Country Day School, Putney School in Putney, Vermont, and Santa Barbara High School. He graduated high school from the Baldwin School. Hollender attended Hampshire College for three semesters but did not graduate.

Business

From 1976 to 1978 Hollender founded and served as CEO of the Skills Exchange of Toronto, a not-for-profit based in Toronto, Canada. The Skills Exchange offered thousands of short term evening and weekend classes inspired by Ican Illich’s book De-schooling Society.

From 1979 to 1987 Hollender was the president of Network for Learning and Warner Audio Publishing, a division of Warner Communications. Warner Audio Publishing was the first major publisher of books on tape.

In 1988, Hollender, together with Alan Newman, acquired a small mail order catalog centered on energy conservation products known as Renew America, which eventually transformed into Seventh Generation Inc.. For twenty years, Hollender acted as President, CEO, and “Chief Inspired Protagonist” of the Vermont-based company.

In June 2009, Hollender stepped down from his role as CEO and became Executive Chairperson of Seventh Generation. Hollender was let go from Seventh Generation Inc. by the board of directors in October 2010.

In 2009, Hollender co-founded the American Sustainable Business Council, which describes itself as a "growing coalition of business networks committed to public policies that support a vibrant, , and sustainable economy." It claims to be "a national partnership of 57+ business associations representing over 150,000 businesses and 300,000 entrepreneurs, managers, investors, and others. These partners support sustainable development, socially responsible business practices, and strong local Main Street economies."

In 2010 Jeffrey was named Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of Greenpeace USA, where he has served on the board since 2005. He also has served on the board of Verite, a leading labor rights organization as well as Health Care Without Harm, and Practically Green.

In August 2014 Hollender, partnered with his daughter Meika Hollender, launched Sustain Natural, the first company to provide sustainable, fair trade and non-toxic condoms. The company strives “to educate and help people connect the dots between condoms and hunger, health care, poverty, and climate change.”

Hollender claims: “We will never solve the myriad of complex problems we face one at a time. Social inequity produces poverty, poverty results in hunger, hunger encourages unsustainable agricultural practices that result in global climate change. Sustain is about recognizing connections, and taking on the system not the individual problems.”

Writing

Hollender has written six books which all cover topics of social & corporate responsibility, sustainable practices and activism. These include:

What Matters Most (2006), a book that shows business leaders how to assess their own company's performance, adopt a socially responsible approach to doing business, and embark on a path of long-term growth, is particularly impactful:

"Jeffrey Hollender is a pioneer whose methodology needs to be put into practice." -- Horst Rechelbacher, CEO and founder of Aveda

"There is no greater template for social responsibility for the new millennium than Jeffery Hollender's book." -- Ed Begley, Jr.

The Responsibility Revolution also received praise for the way it reveals the smartest ways for companies to build a better future-and hold themselves accountable for the results:

"Jeffrey Hollender and Bill Breen give us the inside scoop on how truly responsible companies out-think and out-perform their conventional-minded competitors. Part manual and part manifesto, The Responsibility Revolution delivers a truckload of examples for growing a company that benefits society as well as shareholders. I only wish we had The Responsibility Revolution’s real-world lessons when we launched Ben & Jerry’s." -- Ben Cohen, co-founder, Ben & Jerry's

"Hollender, chairman of clean household company Seventh Generation, shares his own company's process of redefining its mission and values, and makes an unimpeachable argument for how sustainable business practices protect both the environment and employees." -- Publishers Weekly

Hollender has been published in academic journals as well. His most recent work on net positive, sustainable business was in the Stanford Social Innovation Review in April 2015.

Recognition